Baby rocker



NOV. 17, 1936. Q l, SWEET 2,061,527

BABY RocKER Filed March l5, 1955 ff f7 f? ff ff ja Oumma/1p1 Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNITED sTATEs 2,061,527" BABY RooxEn Clifford I. Sweet, Delphos, Ohio, assignor to The Delphos Bending Company, Delphes, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application March 13, 1935, Serial No. 10,766

6 Claims.

My invention relates to a childs rocker, and it is my object to produce a device of this kind which will have advantages over'those previously known or used. More specifically, it is my object to produce a childs rocker from which the child can not accidentally fall. A further object of my invention is to provide in a childs rocker a swingable tray which, when the rocker is occupied, will be disposed in a position immediately in front of the child but which can be swung out of the way to permit the child to be inserted into or removed from the rocker. Still another object of my invention is to provide means for positively holding the tray in xed position when the rocker is occupied so that it will not swing and create objectionable noise as the rocker rocks.

In carrying out my invention I form the rocker 0f two side members preferably cut to resemble the prole of some example of animal life. Between these side members I mount a seat, a seatback, and a foot-rest which serve not only as a support for the child but also as a means for interconnecting the side members. In front of and above the seat there is pivotally secured to the two side members a tray arranged to be disposed in rear of its axis of pivotal mounting when the rocker is occupied and to be held in such position against the force of gravity by provisions engaging the rocker-sides. Secured to the tray is one end of a fiexible strap adapted to pass downwardly between the legs of the child and to be releasably secured adjacent the front edge of the seat so as to prevent the child from sliding forwardly out of the seat.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through the rocker; and Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof.

As previously indicated, the rocker embodies sides Ill preferably shaped to resemble in profile some suitable example of animal life, such as a duck; the bottom edges of the sides being convexly curved to provide the desired rocker-bottom for the device. Between the sides there extend a seat I I, a seat-back I 2, and a foot-rest I3 properly disposed for the support of the child. Conveniently, cleats I4 are attached to the ends of the seat, seat-back, and foot-rest, and secured to the sides III through the medium of bolts I5. The seat II and back I2 may be interconnected by means of a cleat IB secured to the rear edge of the seat and bolted to the lower edge of the back by a bolt I6'.

Above and in front of the seat there is pivotally mounted against the inner face of each side I0 an arm I1, the pivotal mounting of such arms conveniently being through the medium of a rod I8 the ends of which are received in cylindrical recesses in the inner faces of the sides IG and held therein by screws I8. Secured to the arms and extending therebetween is a tray IQ adapted to contain small toys or similar articles. Near its rear end, each of the arms I1 is provided with an outwardly projecting abutment adapted to rest upon the adjacent side I I1 and to hold the tray in approximately horizontal position in front of the child-in the rocker. The arms` I1 may project rearwardly beyond the tray I9 to provide support for a transversely extending rod 2| on which` beads 22 may be slidably mounted to provide amusement for the child.

Secured to the tray I9 near the median plane of the rocker is one end of a flexible strap 25 adapted to extend generally downwardly and to be releasably secured to the seat I I, near the front edge thereof. Conveniently co-operating parts of a snap-fastener 26 are secured respectively to the lower end of the strap 25 and to the underside of the seat Il. When the strap 25 is in place, as shown in Fig. 1, it extends vertically between the' legs of the child and prevents the child from sliding forwardly out of the seat II.

I nd it convenient to so proportion the parts of the rocker that when it is occupied by a child the child will bear against the strap 25 to maintain a degree of tension therein. This tension in the strap 25 holds the pins 20 firmly in contact with the rocker-sides I0 and prevents the noise which would inevitably occur if the -arms I'I and tray I9 were free to swing about the axis of the bolts I8,

When it is desired to place a child in the rocker or remove it therefrom, the snap-fastener 26 is released, thus permitting the arms I I and tray I9 to be swung upwardly and forwardly out of the way. Preferably, the sides I0 extend forwardly of the bolts I 8 to engage the abutments 20 on the arms I'I whereby to support the tray in the inoperative dotted-line position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The support thus provided for the tray prevents it from swinging downwardly'into a position where it might interfere with the removal or insertion of the child.

I claim as my invention:

1. A childs rocker, comprising interconnected side members having convexly curved lower edges, a seat disposed between said side members, a tray pivotally mounted between said side members in front of and above said seat on an axis disposed ahead of said tray, said tray being provided with abutments positioned to engage respectively the upper edges of said side members in rear of the tray to support it in upright position, a exible strap having one end secured to said tray near the middle of the back thereof, and releasable means for securing the opposite end of said strap to said seat.

2. A childs rocker as set forth in claim 1 with the addition that said side members project forwardly beyond the axis of pivotal mounting of said tray in position to be engaged by the abutments on said tray when said tray is swung to inverted position.

3. In a device of the type described, a seat, side members, a pair of arms pivotally attached to said side members on a common axis located above and in advance of said seat, and a tray secured to and interconnecting said arms, said arms extending rearwardly beyond said tray and there having provisions engaging said side members to limit downward swinging movement of said tray and arms.

4. In a childs rocker, a pair of side members shaped to resemble a bird such as a swan, said side-members having a body portion and a head and neck portion separated by a deep cut-out portion, a seat disposed between said body portions of said side members, a pair of arms pivoted adjacent said side members on a rod interconnecting the head and neck portions near the free ends thereof, a tray secured to and interconnecting said arms, abutments at the rear ends of said arms for engaging the top edges` of the body portions of said side members to limit rearward and downward swinging movement of said tray and arms, and means associated with said abutment for engaging the inner side faces of such top edges.

5. The combination defined in claim 4, in which the head and neck portions of said side members have forwardly projecting beak portions in position to be engaged by said abutments to limit forward swinging movement of said tray and arms.

6. In a childs rocker having interconnected side-members, a tray disposed between said sidemembers, and provided with supporting side -arms projecting beyond said tray, means pivotally supporting said side-arms ahead of said tray on said' side members, and abutments at the rear of said tray projecting outwardly to overlie the top edges of said side-members, said pivotally supporting means being disposed to position said tray in upright position when said abutments are in engagement with said top edges.

CLIFFORD I. SWEET. 

